Pistons turn attention to NBA draft lottery results

AP File PhotoArizona's Chase Budinger is one of a handful of players expected to work out for Detroit before next month's draft.

AUBURN HILLS -- It is too soon to tell who the Detroit Pistons will select with the No. 15 pick in next month's NBA draft.

But Detroit will have a better idea who might be available after tonight's NBA draft lottery, which will determine the selection order for the teams that did not make the playoffs this season.

Regardless of the lottery results, the Pistons had to cast a wide scouting net due to having four draft picks, three of which are in the second round.

"Every year, we make sure we know everybody from No. 1 (overall pick) to 60 and beyond," said George David, Detroit's director of player personnel. "But when you come into the draft and you have four picks, it only strengthens that need to know everybody."

Detroit also has the No. 36 overall pick (from Minnesota), No. 39 (from Toronto) and their own pick at No. 44.

David said the Pistons would bring in 15 to 20 players for workouts this week.

While it remains unclear what the Pistons will look for in next month's draft, there is a good chance they will select an experienced college player.

Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, the consensus National Player of the Year who is expected to be the first player selected, highlights a long list of college standouts who would have been among the top players selected had they entered last year's draft.

"With this draft," David said, "you're looking at players who are more of a finished product, what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of players, where in some more recent drafts, teams were drafting players based more on their upside and potential."

Some of the players expected to work out for Detroit before next month's draft include Arizona's Chase Budinger, North Carolina's Danny Green, Texas' Damion James, Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal, Ohio State's B.J. Mullens, Louisville's Terrence Williams and Pittsburgh's Sam Young.